Haiku Collection - Part1

"Nag"

jazzy evening sessions
nag machine hits a solo
cut out that dumb noise 

-x-x-x-

"Survive"

day away from work
boredom killed curio the cat
survive, I shall this

-x-x-x-

"Brussels"

thirty dead, many lost
flick, flicker, boom-boom, kaboom
I still hate traffic

-x-x-x-

"Pray"

hope's distant glimmer
wide eyed, crazy mounted steed
pray today come, pray

-x-x-x-

"Galat Ladki"

zimmedar ban aaj tu zara
fark hai, rahe anjaan bhale hum
ladki galat, ya sahi

-x-x-x-

"Ask"

bullet through my head
casket and a bed of lead
this is all I ask

-x-x-x-

"Reunion"

cat among pigeons
jokes of old, salted, matured
as friends meet today

-x-x-x- 

"Independents"

possibilities
myriad, an inspired dawn
for independents

-x-x-x- 

"Touch"

ripples after stone
avalanche after mountain echoes
she's touched me again

-x-x-x- 

"Flame Of The Forest"

anticipant through tinder
blooms flame of the forest
a lost hope ignites

-x-x-x- 

"An Evening By The River"

slow sets lazy sun
a prolonged destinal longing
as seawards she winds

-x-x-x- 

"Celebrations"

bells, gongs, drums, cymbals, men
the quiet heart steadies how
cacophony erupts

-x-x-x-

"Life Filtered"

the plot peaks and dips
filtered to best behavior
a life takes shape

-x-x-x-

"Songwriting"

songs don't write themselves
but flow as memories unchecked
as floodgates crumble

-x-x-x-

"Gravity"

i'm your gravity
your lone flights of fantasy

takes life from my love

-x-x-x-

© Parched For Rain
Blog Contents

Book Review: The Calling by Priya Kumar

I - Reviewer!

To be honest, first up, I was a bit skeptical. And a bit nervous too. I had with me a copy of 'The Calling: Unleash Your True Self', an inspirational book (novella, perhaps, of 150 odd pages?) by Priya Kumar. I'm, in some way, wary of this genre of inspirational books - most of these just sound so preachy! This was my first exposure to the author; and first exposure to the concept of reviewing a book.

The book cover ...

I now had three simultaneous tasks on my hands:
1: Read the book, understand the book, understandthe author and understand what it meant to me
2: Review the book
3: Remember to enjoy the book while balancing 1 and 2

Reasons enough to be nervous, I suppose!

-x-x-x-

Possible Spoiler Alert

The book has a message - the hand-written foreword/note by Priya Kumar gives some insight too. It is the way the book sets about to tackle this message is what makes it interesting. The story revolves around the protagonist Arjun, who suffers a massive mid-life crisis - an unsatisfying job which pays decently, not many people who can be considered friends and to top it all the wife seeks separation. He also has exhausted the fuel in his car by the time we are midway through the first chapter.

What follows are a series of accidents and restorations - both physical and spiritual - where Arjun meets up with some uncanny and possibly unnerving characters who act as guides in Arjun's journey of self-discovery. The book - and Arjun - starts near Shimla and ends up in the Garhwal Himalayas at Hemkund Sahib, via a quick detour to the Valley Of Flowers.

The book is Arjun's journey. Through the journey it dwells on concepts and ideas like 'role of a friend', 'role of a guide', 'your understanding of your surroundings and its betterment', 'how to build your story around your lot of people' and most importantly 'the unwavering belief in oneself'. The concepts, ideas and their presentation take the reader on an intriguing journey. Yet, everything is easily relate-able at the same time.

-x-x-x-

You Talk Too Much ...

This is my frustration with Arjun. Arjun is the narrator of this book - he's in the thick of all the action and story-telling that one sees in the book. Yet, one gets the feeling that Arjun is sitting somewhere in a house in Delhi narrating this story at a gathering of pre-teens. His narration is too superfluous - especially during high adrenaline sequences where one would expect a more crisp and concise writing. The editing table could probably have used a busier hand.

The role of Jay - a friend of Arjun's and a secondary character - seems to conflict the book a bit, considering that at least in Arjun's opinion Jay has everything sorted. The roles of the spiritual characters are etched with sheer perfection, giving an edge to the story. Chandu is a delight with strikingly balanced realist and spiritual sides. And who uses a Blackberry these days?

-x-x-x-

Parting Shot

'The Calling: Unleash Your True Self' is a worthy read, especially for people who plan to rise up the corporate ladder. It gives a saner perspective to life - all that goes in to differentiating you from a good resource to a good person. For me, it comes at a time when I'm battling in a way to keep my aspirations afloat in a work environment where notions of professionalism and rationality have taken a backseat to patchwork engineering. I hope to work more effectively towards my calling too.

And by-the-way, when it comes to the workplace, everyone is replaceable! Enjoy!

Also, it takes long buddy!

-x-x-x-

Details

'The Calling: Unleash Your True Self'
Author - Priya Kumar
Genre - Inspirational / Motivational
Published by - Books That Inspire
Contact - www.priya-kumar.com
Cost - INR299/-

-x-x-x-

© Parched For Rain

Note: Images in this post are not owned by me.